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Help with 1st Cavalry Trooper photo from 1880s


scottiques
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I picked this up recently and wanted to get some feedback on it:

 

post-124583-0-37061200-1550108112.jpeg post-124583-0-49033500-1550108120.jpeg

 

 

post-124583-0-08361500-1550108132.jpeg post-124583-0-33440600-1550108188.jpeg

 

 

The cabinet card image features an identified trooper with a K Troop, 1st Cavalry Regiment insignia.

 

The photographer is Daniel Markey, who had studios in both Fort Apache and Bisbee (Arizona) in the 1880s.

 

The dark trim on the jacket looks too dark to be cavalry yellow?

 

Is anyone aware of a database for these IW Cavalry troopers? I have gotten no where with the name. "Hartson" is fairly clear, but I cannot decipher the first name. My first thought was "Loren", but I have tried several variations and simply an "L" on familysearch checks. Nothing has turned up that fits.

 

Any thoughts or information is appreciated!

 

Thanks.

 

Scott

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The dark trim on the jacket looks too dark to be cavalry yellow?

 

 

 

That is a common photographic effect of the period. Yellow appears black. Very apparent in a famous photo of George Custer - the yellow plume on his helmet appears black.

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I took a look at the signature and it looks like there is a dot for an i near the end of the first name, so I guessed it might be Louis. I found a Louis J. Hartman listed in a return for the 15th Infantry from 1897 from Ancestry.com. He was in Arizona Territory at the time and transferred in from Troop E, First Cavalry from Fort Huachuca. This is probably him.

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I took a look at the signature and it looks like there is a dot for an i near the end of the first name, so I guessed it might be Louis. I found a Louis J. Hartman listed in a return for the 15th Infantry from 1897 from Ancestry.com. He was in Arizona Territory at the time and transferred in from Troop E, First Cavalry from Fort Huachuca. This is probably him.

 

 

Thanks-- great help with the Louis. I'll do some more checking.

 

I am not so sure on the hartman-- wouldn't expect that much of a variation in recorded name.

 

Scott

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Here is your guy in the army record of enlistments.

1) Louis J. Hartson enl May 24 1892 at Springfield Mass; born Orange Mass; age 21 3 months, laborer, blue eyes 5 foot 9 inches assigned to 1st Cav Company K; disch 8/23/95 G.O. 80 AGO-90 at Ft Riley as private very good character,

2) May 29 1896 25 2 months blue eyes dark brown hair dark complexion 5 9 ¾, 7 Cav 15 Inf E. H [2nd enlistment, last enlistment in co. K 1 Cav disch 8/28/95.] Disch Nov 1897 S.O. 265 AGO-97 Fort Huachuca AT Music Good

 

The initial assignment to the 7th Cavalry in his second enlistment seems to have been a false start and remedied in the 15th Infantry document shown above by simply listing him as coming from the 1st Cavalry. In any case it would seem to date your photo to 1892-1895 while he was in K of the 1st cav. I omitted the birth place info in the second reference. It is the same as in the first.

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Thanks much Steve-- I really appreciate you taking the time to get me the information.

 

I was thinking this was 1880s, but it certainly looks like the dates you posted are more accurate.

 

Scott

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